National Let It Go Day: Healing And Moving Forward From Negative Experiences

Regret, anger, sadness, and heartbreak can all be common human experiences. Sometimes, the negative feelings stemming from these experiences can weigh on someone long after the event itself. Being able to heal from these experiences, let go of negative emotions, and move forward with a more positive mindset can be beneficial to your long-term mental health.

For this reason, we celebrate National Let It Go Day each year on June 23. National Let It Go Day was primarily created to give people an opportunity to recognize the negative emotions they may be holding onto, find peace with previous chapters of their lives, heal from painful experiences, and build more positive futures. One way to move through this process may be to work with a licensed therapist in your local area or online.

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History of National Let It Go Day

National Let It Go Day is one of several holidays created by Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays & Herbs. Although an herb company may seem to be an unlikely start for this holiday, the Roys believed that every day is worth celebrating and thus began to establish their own calendar of holidays, including Let It Go Day.

According to the Roys, National Let It Go Day is observed each year on June 23, encouraging people to let go of whatever is on their minds to make way for a better tomorrow.

Impacts of negativity on mental health

Although everyone might experience negative thoughts, emotions, or events throughout their lives, holding onto negativity can have adverse effects on a person’s mental health and quality of life. Although updated evidence may be needed, one study investigated how positive and negative thinking could affect the outcomes of stressful events and found that those who thought negatively often reported lower well-being overall.

If you experience a negative event, such as a fight, breakup, betrayal, or other stressful experience, you might experience any of the following negative emotions:

• Anger
• Sadness
• Regret
• Guilt
• Shame
• Self-consciousness
• Frustration
• Jealousy
• Disappointment
• Annoyance
• Embarrassment
• Resentment

In addition to the distress these feelings may cause you, repetitive negative thinking and holding onto negative emotions can also contribute to the development of mental health conditions. A study from 2010 examined three forms of negative, repetitive thinking and how they affected symptoms of depression and anxiety. The research revealed that all three types of negative, repetitive thinking tended to be significantly associated with increased depression and anxiety symptoms. While more recent evidence may be needed to corroborate these findings, there often seems to be a link between negative thoughts and emotions and mental health disorders.

Benefits of letting go of the past

It can be important to note that there’s not necessarily anything wrong with experiencing these emotions. Negative emotions are often part of being human, and these feelings can be natural. However, rather than ruminating on these feelings, it can be beneficial to process them in a healthy way, heal from the effects they had on you, and move forward from the experiences that caused them.

As discussed, negative experiences and memories can come with a variety of negative emotions and resulting mental health conditions. We might dwell on these emotions long after the experience occurred, even if there isn’t anything we can do about the past. When we decide it’s time to stop wasting energy on things we cannot change, it can be easier to redirect that energy into things we can control, such as cultivating happiness and building a more positive future.

Letting go of the past can also allow us to live more mindfully and focus on the present. Research suggests that focusing on the present can have a positive impact on a person’s health and well-being. Mindfulness exercises tend to be common treatment methods for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and incorporating these practices into our lives can help us let go of anything that might be causing us to experience negative thoughts and emotions.

Coping strategies to manage negative thoughts and emotions

Experiencing negative thoughts and emotions can be a natural part of being human. Knowing how to preserve your own mental health during stressful experiences and cope with the negative emotions that can follow is often key to learning to let go of them. The following are potential strategies to help yourself heal and move forward from negative experiences on National Let It Go Day and beyond.

Identify the source of your emotions

Sometimes, we might experience negative emotions without an obvious reason. Negative emotions may also appear to be misdirected or miscredited to experiences that aren’t the true causes of the negative feelings. Often, the first step is looking within and around you for the true reasons behind your emotions. This can make it easier to change what you can, accept what you can’t, and move forward.

Recognize and process your emotions

Allowing yourself to recognize the emotions you may be feeling and giving yourself permission to feel them may be helpful in processing them and eventually letting them go.

Make changes where you can

The source of your negative emotions may be the people around you, your job, or other controllable elements of your situation. If there are things you can change, such as setting boundaries, spending time with different people, or looking for a new job, they might be helpful in moving forward from painful experiences and letting go of negative emotions.

Spend time with family and friends

Your friends and family members can support you during challenging times. Whether they can give you helpful advice or just be an ear to listen, leaning on the people around you can give you the support you deserve to find peace and move forward.

Channel your emotions into an activity

Many people find comfort in channeling their negative emotions into an activity or hobby, such as exercising, creating art, writing, or meditating. Activities can also relieve stress and help you forget about the strong emotions you may be feeling. With your energy directed toward something more positive in the present, you may find it easier to let go of the past.

Practice self-care

Self-care can include a variety of activities and practices that improve your physical, mental, spiritual, social, and emotional health. Examples of self-care might include practicing yoga, reading a book, watching your favorite show, or connecting with an old friend. Your best avenue for self-care will often be something that makes you feel happy, healthy, and at peace.

Journal

Putting your negative emotions into words can be beneficial in processing them, and journaling can be a personal way to communicate your thoughts. You might try writing a stream-of-consciousness entry about what you’re feeling or start with prompts to help you better understand your emotions. 

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness can be an effective treatment method for managing symptoms of various mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Mindfulness exercises could include breathing exercises, going on a walk, or paying more attention to your body and surroundings. Mindfulness is generally rooted in the idea that living in the present can be important for mental health, and doing so can help you let go of the past.

Work with a therapist

Therapy can be a beneficial tool for understanding the emotions you carry from past experiences and how they may be affecting your life today. In therapy, you might learn to recognize your unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and change them to improve your mental health. This method is often referred to as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and it can be an effective way to accept and let go of the past.

Learn to let go in online therapy

Ruminating on the past can result in several mental health impacts, many of which can make it difficult to attend regular therapy sessions in person. For example, symptoms of depression resulting from negative emotions might make it difficult to get out of bed or leave your home. For those experiencing similar challenges, online therapy can be a helpful alternative.

Research suggests that online therapy can be just as effective at treating mental health symptoms as face-to-face interventions. A 2022 study evaluated each therapeutic method’s effectiveness and found no significant differences between online and in-person therapy. Additionally, online therapy was shown to be an effective treatment for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, among other conditions.